Former Houston Narcotics Officer Charged With Murder After Deadly Drug Raid
On Monday prosecutor Keaton Forcht told jurors that former Houston police officer, Gerald Goines, is responsible for the 2019 deaths of a couple during a raid of their home because his lies on a search warrant wrongly portrayed them as dangerous drug dealers.
An attorney for Gerald Goines admitted her client lied to get the search warrant but said his actions do not merit a murder conviction, and placed the blame for the deaths on the couple.
The couple and their dog were killed after officers entered their home using a “no-knock” warrant that didn’t require police to announce themselves before entering. Goines secured the “no-knock” warrant from a judge claiming it was needed because officers would be in serious danger from the couple. Goines created an environment “clearly dangerous to human life” by claiming the “no-knock” warrant was needed, according to the prosecution.
“Nicholas’ choices to not respond to instructions by police and to try and grab the gun of a fallen officer is the cause of her death,” according to attorney Nicole DeBorde.
Goines has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder in the January 2019 deaths of Dennis Tuttle, 59, and his 58-year-old wife Rhogena Nicholas.
Goines allegedly lied to get the warrant by falsely claiming an informant had bought heroin at the couple’s home from a man with a gun. Goines would later change his story to claim he had bought the drugs himself, but authorities say that was also a lie.
Michael Wynne, a Houston-based criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor not connected to the case, said some of the issues prosecutors will have to contend with include overcoming the benefit of the doubt that people tend to give to police officers. But Goines will have too many hurdles to overcome, Wynne said.
“Mr. Goines has the best counsel you could possibly get,” Wynne said. “But I think they’ve got an uphill battle here.”
The probe into the drug raid also uncovered allegations of systemic corruption.
A dozen officers tied to the narcotics squad that carried out the raid, including Goines, were later indicted on other charges following a corruption probe. A judge in June dismissed charges against some of them.
Since the raid, prosecutors have reviewed thousands of cases handled by the narcotics unit.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has overturned at least 22 convictions linked to Goines, who also faces federal charges.
Officers immediately fired their guns upon entering the home. “But for the actions of Gerald Goines, those two homeowners would still be alive,” Forcht said.
If convicted, Goines faces up to life in prison. Testimony in the trial was to resume Tuesday.